East Harlem Man Left Kids Home Alone With Guns, Abused Dog, Officials Say

EAST HARLEM, NY — A man is facing charges after leaving his children home alone in an "unsanitary and uninhabitable" East Harlem apartment with unsecured firearms present, police told Patch.

Ronald McDonagh, a 48-year-old city correction officer, was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of torturing an animal, according to a criminal complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Police officers responded to McDonagh's home Sunday to find an eight-year-old boy and four-year-old girl left in the apartment unsupervised, according to the criminal complaint. McDonagh told officers that he left the children at home while out shopping for juice and milk, according to the DA's office.

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Officers searching the apartment found the home in "unsanitary and uninhabitable" conditions, with trash and clothing spread throughout the apartment, according to a criminal complaint. Two firearms — one Glock 26 and one Beretta — were located in an unsecured shelf within the apartment, according to the DA's office.

Officers also found a "small thin dog" sitting in a pool of its own urine, according to a criminal complaint. The dog — which police described as emaciated and frail — had been left in a cage and its fur coat was matted, officials said.

McDonagh was arraigned Sunday and released without bail, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's office told Patch. McDonagh will appear in court again on Nov. 13, officials said.

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